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Saint Hildegard speaks to us in many languages

Did you know that Lingua Ignota (Latin for “unknown language”) was described by the 12th century abbess of Rupertsberg, St. Hildegard of Bingen, OSB, who apparently used it for mystical purposes? To write it, she used an alphabet of 23 letters denominated litterae ignotae. You can learn more about her book at the bottom of the page.

While we won’t be using her mystical language, the film is currently available in four modern languages (English, German, Spanish, Japanese).

Saint Hildegard invites us all to embrace the connection between God, Nature and Art. This film is the story of a powerful muse who invites us to create magic in our own lives by letting the ordinary touch the divine. Because Saint Hildegard is such an universal story, we are happy to provide opportunities in different languages. If you would like to help translate into another language not currently offered, please let us know. It is my wish to inspire the audience on their own path of creativity and meaning through the telling of this unique mystic figure.

Saint Hildegard now available in:

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Discover why many consider Saint Hildegard of Bingen to be the patron saint of creativity and her continued impact today. This 12th century abbess became famous as a Christian Mystic and visionary, as well as a musical composer and writer, and her medicine is still practiced in Europe today.

In the film, I share an experience that we can each awake up to: that we are each empowered to be our own unruly mystic, in whatever form that takes in our lives and careers. I have presented this film around the world, with over 20 screenings at various venues, including at the Harvard Divinity School and Emory University. The Q/A sessions afterwards are really interesting.

A quote:

This film presents a deservedly dynamic and alive portrait of this amazing pioneer and renaissance woman, Hildegard of Bingen, as it zeroes in especially on her powers of healing through her music and her dietary teachings. It presents a diverse mix of contemporary persons, women and men, who have been affected by her many works so imbued with spirit in search of wisdom. An excellent documentary, full of Hildegard’s spirit!

–Matthew Fox, author of “Hildegard of Bingen, a Saint for Our Times: Unleashing Her Power in the 21st Century” and “Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen” and “Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Divine Works with Letters and Songs.”

“The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard”, 65 minutes, was first screened in 2014 in Germany. In that film, fifteen people shares stories of how Saint Hildegard has influenced their own lives and how she continues to influence them today. That includes, me too, the filmmaker. I traveled internationally to capture many of the stories you will hear in this deeply felt film. I utilized an original contemporary score, as well as playful computer-generated animations to help keep the subject material relevant to today’s younger audience.

The Lingua Ignota, “brought forth” by the twelfth-century German nun Hildegard of Bingen, provides 1012 neologisms for praise of Church and new expression of the things of her world. Noting her visionary metaphors, her music, and various medieval linguistic philosophies, Higley examines how the “Unknown Language” makes arid signifiers green again. This text, however, is too often seen in too narrow a context: glossolalia, angelic language, secret code. Higley provides an edition and English translation of its glosses in the Riesencodex (with assistance from the Berlin MS) , but also places it within a history of imaginary language making from medieval times to the most contemporary projects in efforts to uncover this woman s bold involvement in an intellectual and creative endeavor that spans centuries.

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$94.94 USD In Stock

Quotes

The Unruly Mystic helps remind us of our own unique nature and gifts. Through his own journey exploring himself and his creative power, Michael Conti leaves us with renewed hope for our own creative identity. For us here at Healthy Hildegard, realizing our own unique powers of creativity led us to our midlife awakenings, but creative works like The Unruly Mystic help us renew our dedication to exploring the energy that comes from living creatively.